Met 1 Lady Supplier From Mattel In MV Metrojaya, so I ask her..

[paanjang16 0]

Was at MV today for a meeting, so after my meeting I went around looking for anything nice to buy like Tomicas, HWs, MBX, Nerf bullets (still looking!!). Happen to bump into this lady with a blue Mattel T-shirt restocking some of the Hot Wheels playsets in Metrojaya. Since I was curious to know if Mattel SEA is even aware of how pitiful our HW situation is here, I went up to chat with her.

Her reply shocked me, no she was not rude or lansi or anything, but on how they procure thier stock from their factory in Penang. You know how badly Mattel packs thier cars into the cases? Highly sought after cars underpacked while those ugly ones (42 Ford in C4 SJ being the worst example) overpacked and left to rot and Mattel STILL Pack them in the 09 cases (but in different color)?

Apparently Mattel SEA has NO POWER to adjust the case distribution in the boxes!! Whatever is packed into the cases is totally random and apparently also the distribution is handled by the Mattel HQ in the States. In other words, Mattel SEA can only take whatever is from the factory and distribute, but the actual running of the factory is by Mattel HQ (Well actually not surprising, since Mattel HQ is the one which originally invested in M'sia). Even she admits Mattel SEA knows of the problem and receives lots of complains regarding this issue. So looks like bad case distribution is here to stay unless we somehow get the message across to some guy in the US.

Ask her bout the Matchbox Best of British/Best of International/Best of Muscle, apparently those cars are meant for oversea Even suggested to her to use the short-card version to save cost and pass the savings to us (but hawker mentality this Mattel has ), complained that overseas all the new waves are already on sale.

Come to think about it, maybe I was too harsh with her. Before I went to MJ I even wrote in the Jusco suggestion box to pack more Reventons, Type-Rs, BLuebirds in the MBX and HW cases, dunno if Jusco can "persuade" Mattel SEA after hearing what I heard from the Mattel lady.

Haih, I never knew buying/selling/collecting toys can be so frustrating.

P.S: She said her manager visits this site, so I can only hope that our input here will help Mattel SEA.

[enyomic 0]

wow ... interesting facts ... The same goes for for singapore. I've seen cases delivered to retailers with different case codes ...End up finding to different thunts. The distributor only takes whatever MATTEL SEA gives them and the just distribute it in Singapore. Since the consumption here has increase thanks to the 09 cards, restock rate has been improve. We get to see more thunts running around.

[rikmun 0]

interesting....today i went jusco...WTF!?!?...all still 5.90...deuce roadsters,blimps,42 fords n all stupid stuff...damn!

[cawan 0]

for some news i heard, this ladies is one of insider.. she hold thunt for selling in purpose..

yeap MV Mjaya..

[toycarsmy 0]

No wonder I never see T-hunt anymore.
Bye bye greens.

[kurz 0]

yea lah panjaang...u saw her restocking..u didnt ask "where's the thunt in this case ur doing?" hehe

[jhc7598 0]

yeah, kurz is right..

[pydrumerboy 0]

She was restocking the playsets, but if she were restocking the boxes, then you got her.

[jhc7598 0]

a ah la, he say restocking play sets la kurz.. .. even the mattel suppliers also being insiders, means it'll be hard to see greenies on pegs..

[netmatrix 0]

Quote :

Whatever is packed into the cases is totally random and apparently also the distribution is handled by the Mattel HQ in the States.

Actually i would say there isn't any system to pack cars in a box. Most of you would love to believe that a specific amount of cars are packed in a box don't ya? hahaha. There "might" have been a system few years ago. It has degraded since.

I would love for them to rojak everything and then see who gets what. hahah.

[hokuan 0]

Hehe, and we cant be 100% sure of what the lady said also..

[paanjang16 0]

Haha, you guys just keep on thinking bout T-hunt only I didn't ask her bout the T-hunt since I practically give up hunting for them and the greens IHMO is not that special anyway to me.

Well I have bombarded her with all my complaints, but she was at that time very busy arranging the playsets and the like. Almost wanted to tell her that "lady, we dun need more playsets, we need more cars!!!!".

But it is no secret that whatever marketing strategy Mattel is doing is all wrong:-
bad case distribution, like more suited for US market rather than M'sian market.
selling 2008, even 2007 cars at 2009 price (come on!! All car manufacturers sell their unsold models in the previous year at a cheaper price to get rid of stock!!!, Litt Tak also another suspect)
Selling 3-packs and 5 packs at a higher cost per car than normal 1 carded, by right the more cars in 1 pack the cheaper the pack
Keep promoting their playsets more than the actual car itself. You need to sell the cars 1st then only the playsets!!
Not promoting enough of Matchbox cars
and I'm sure you all have alot of T-hunt complains.

I find it extremely insulting for Mattel to sell 2007 cars at 2009 price. Do they really think that customers will not notice that when the cars were manufactured in 2007 and sold then it only cost RM 5.90? If 2009 cars were at 2009 price I can understand since maybe it cost more to produce now and have some added features, but in 2007/2008 when you can manufacture it and sell it for RM 5.90, why increase the price to RM 6.50?

Imagine you buy a Toyota/Proton/P2 whatever, the sales man all trying to sell you a 2007, 2008 Civic, Accord, Persona, Savvy at 2009 price. No way any customer will buy right?

P.S: Did the US market increase price? I'll be even mad if the US market never increase price and we were made to suffer

[netmatrix 0]

Ahhhh.... but you forgot that interest will change if the seling price doesn't. hahaha

[Fadli85 0]

Hmm, interesting facts there panjaang, no wonder HW Basic Cars is a bit screwed up here......

BLIMPS.....!

Killer COPTER.....!

One day I'm going to lose my mind and buy those two....!

[sinclair 0]

Fadli85 wrote:

Hmm, interesting facts there panjaang, no wonder HW Basic Cars is a bit screwed up here......

BLIMPS.....!

Killer COPTER.....!

One day I'm going to lose my mind and buy those two....!

Erm... I just bought Ratbomb.

[Loose-Wheel 0]

paanjang16 wrote:

Keep promoting their playsets more than the actual car itself. You need to sell the cars 1st then only the playsets!!
Not promoting enough of Matchbox cars
and I'm sure you all have alot of T-hunt complains.

I find it extremely insulting for Mattel to sell 2007 cars at 2009 price. Do they really think that customers will not notice that when the cars were manufactured in 2007 and sold then it only cost RM 5.90? If 2009 cars were at 2009 price I can understand since maybe it cost more to produce now and have some added features, but in 2007/2008 when you can manufacture it and sell it for RM 5.90, why increase the price to RM 6.50?

Imagine you buy a Toyota/Proton/P2 whatever, the sales man all trying to sell you a 2007, 2008 Civic, Accord, Persona, Savvy at 2009 price. No way any customer will buy right?

P.S: Did the US market increase price? I'll be even mad if the US market never increase price and we were made to suffer

Let see I agree with what You are saying....
#1 Playset...I would think Big M Pushes those, there is most profit for the store then a Single Car
....I also think you have to Buy a cetain amount of other HW Product to get the single cars
#2 Why not Promote MBX more I think it's more because MBX does Not Have a (Green Fever series) T-hunts
...In the year 2000 Mattel Made (Matchbox 2000) logos on 1st 10,000 cars people went crazy for those
#3 the Price...A store does not Notice 2007,2008 or 2009 models unless a Buyer Collects
then the (Green fever cars get taken).
#5 .but as far as price Many store here used to have sales
.49c,59c,75c,79c, but now all store don't budge from 99c-$1.00

Me Personally I Have grown tired of those stupid Green Fever cars .The car has been so de-valued
with the two tier system..Just makes me sad when a car I like and collect Catches Green fever

I like the '57 Plymouth Fury...and now it caught the Green Fever..I will be lucky to Grab
1-2 Regulars...oh well

Good Day all!!
(Steps off soap Box)

[redkop 0]

Paanjang, thanks for the useful piece of info and your pro-active action, but I'm rather sceptical of what she has said. First and foremost, I think what Mattel HQ is more interested in is that there are enough cars to distribute in the US. They don't really give a damn about the Malaysia market cause it's too small to be of concern to them and they'll most probably leave it to Mattel SEA to pack the cars, so long as not the whole box is of greens that will cause US collectors to bising they'll be ok and also no complaints from local consumers, I guess. If our complaints ever reach Mattel HQ it doesn't makes sense again that they are not listening to our outcry as Americans corporate companies takes complaints very seriously and they will go at lengths to address it to ensure customer satisfaction. Did these complaints ever reach them or that the lady is pulling a fast one on us or something is brewing behind the scene???

My guess is anybody's guess, could it be that there's a surplus of these blimps, killer copters etc nowhere to go and conveniently dumped locally so that in the eyes of Mattel HQ, good all stocks have been cleared. It is truly a very sorry state when you go to say Parkson, Jaya Jusco etc when you still sees those non-moving cars as old as 2006 and 2007 still hanging on the racks, I truly feel for the departmental stalls.

The only thing I tak bolih tahaaaaaaaaaaaaaan ................ is track back the last few years sure have a few FE cars, maybe 2, 3, 4 or more that you can't find or difficult to find due to non-availibility or too few pieces made available. Hopefully, Mattel HQ is listening.

Errrrr...... just bought a Go Kart.

[kurz 0]

Loose-Wheel wrote:

#5 .but as far as price Many store here used to have sales
.49c,59c,75c,79c, but now all store don't budge from 99c-$1.00

i..lost my words >_>

[Loose-Wheel 0]

But I read these boards and Many Malaysian Friends keep finding
those VW-Fastback..Man i found 1 Gave to a friend that need
it for her First Editions..would have liked to have found a 2nd but
this car was poor distrabuted in My Area (USA) Pennsylvania

[kukubeh 0]

VW fastback came with DK wave and we have lots of store restock DK wave at end of last year/beginning of this years. so chances of geting a VW fastback is higher. =)

[pydrumerboy 0]

Yeah there were too many dk and faastbacks at the end of 08 and beginning of 09 till we got sick of it....sigh

The grass is always greener on the other side.

[zint3000 0]

Goodness...
the situation sound worse...
hmm but stock like blimp i have no idea how it will be gone from the pegs...
i can remember the number of blimps at this one store...
it hasnt move for like how many months...
at last it move because i bought two...
lol

[kurz 0]

DK wave should be sold at old price but those stores stock up DK wave so they can sell it at new price for better profit..
that's y u can see a lot of fastbacks here! lol

[paanjang16 0]

Loose-Wheel wrote:

Let see I agree with what You are saying....
#1 Playset...I would think Big M Pushes those, there is most profit for the store then a Single Car
....I also think you have to Buy a cetain amount of other HW Product to get the single cars
#2 Why not Promote MBX more I think it's more because MBX does Not Have a (Green Fever series) T-hunts
...In the year 2000 Mattel Made (Matchbox 2000) logos on 1st 10,000 cars people went crazy for those
#3 the Price...A store does not Notice 2007,2008 or 2009 models unless a Buyer Collects
then the (Green fever cars get taken).
#5 .but as far as price Many store here used to have sales
.49c,59c,75c,79c, but now all store don't budge from 99c-$1.00

#1 You are right, maybe there is more profit to get from those playsets than the actual car itself. But this is more akin to a chicken and egg situation; do you sell the cars first or sell the playsets so that ppl will buy the cars or vice versa? Personally I find HW playsets is all about speed, crashing and more speed. Prefer Tomica or classic Matchbox (before Mattel) playsets as they are more realistic.

#2 You do not need a green series to get more buyers, as proven with Majorettes, Tomica. HWs have a different customer base and so does Matchbox. Like me I prefer Matchbox due to its realistic paintwork and better looking cars. Compared to HWs it caters more to hot rods, old american muscles, imaginary cars and the like. Even a recent Matchbox Corvette ZR1 has more details than a HW Corvette ZR1!!! If Matchbox packs more Audi R8s, Civic Type-Rs, Mercedes E class, EVO, Mazda, Porsche, Merc SLK instead of other cars then it will sell more, but it too suffers from bad case distribution.

#3 Sad but true, a store can't tell the difference. That is why if the store have a suggestion box or something, we can teach them a 2 bout old cars and new cars. That way they will not end up with lots of unsold cars and can persuade Mattel to buck up! So guys, if you are in Jusco, spend a few minutes writing into the suggestion box. If enough complains the store will act. I did wrote once when I was in Aeon Bukit Tinggi Klang, was surprised to receive a call from them asking bout my suggestion , so they DO listen.
#5 Gosh, such a big price increase . Looks like the price increase is worldwide.

I think Mattel seriously got to improve. I have seen kids prefering to pick Tomica costing TWICE as much in Jusco/Isetan coz the HWs cars are "Tak Cantik" (Tak = Not, Cantik = beautiful). Note that a kid said that!! and this is when his mother was suggesting him to choose a HW car instead coz HWs are cheaper. A Tomica car costs RM 12.90 while a HW car only cost RM 6.50.

Another way is for Mattel to abandon the whole green thing all together and have a distribution system like Tomica! 1 type of car per box of 20, somthing like that. That way a fast selling car can easily be replenish without adding more unsold stock. Just order more of the same car!

[undercoverbrother 0]

paanjang16 wrote:

packed into the cases is totally random and apparently also the distribution is handled by the Mattel HQ in the States. In other words, Mattel SEA can only take whatever is from the factory and distribute, but the actual running of the factory is by Mattel HQ.

Heya homie panjang i think you very slightly misinterpreted what she said or maybe on her part. Agree with with what her said.. but there's two different things i think u got it mixed cause assortments is how the cars are packed (sort of 'distributed in that particular case), while the word distribution itself is the transit of all the cases to all the stores. So what she said is all correct i)they have no hands in the car assortments (like trying to skip blimp) ii) and they can only take and distribute what they receive.

But the word 'totally random' you used i believe she meant it by cases they be getting and distributing, meaning distributor won't be able request "i want to distribute wave AAA", basically the point number ii above. Not totally random packing as you suggested cause there's no such case as 'rojak case'. Furthemore you confirmed Mattel HQ is the real in charge of what's happening inside factory so no i don't think HQ will get them to 'sumbat whatever cars they wished'. The cases are unique, they could be 'random' in certain way but still within that 'system'.

Anyway since undercover's back, this is one cool thing to write panjang panjang lol, guess i'll take this to start my 'blog' in my thread hehe..